Wife of email 'hacker' Leon Walker speaks out: 'I was so violated, and it just wasn't right'

WXYZ Video: Wife of accused email hacker tells Action News her side of the story

Clara Walker says her ex-husband, who faces up to five years in prison for reading her email, invaded her privacy in an attempt to get the upper hand in their divorce proceedings and win custody of their daughter.

"I was so violated, and it just wasn't right what he did," she said this week on WXYZ, appearing on camera in an attempt to "set the record straight."

Leon Walker, a 33-year-old IT worker for Oakland County, heads to trial next month in a case that has made national headlines due to its broad implications for marital privacy. Locally, the case has raised questions about the prosecutor who chose to apply a Michigan law intended to protect against hackers and identity theft.

Sharing his story on national television last week, Leon Walker said he suspected his wife was having an affair with her second husband, who he believed previously abused her in front of a child from her first marriage. Leon claimed he was concerned about the safety of that child and his own daughter, so he found his wife's email password in a notebook she kept near her laptop and used it to confirm his suspicions.

While his account sounds more like concerned spousal snooping than hacking, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper has said evidence will come out at trial indicating he used his "specialized knowledge" as an IT professional to access the account.

"He knew what he was doing at the time," Clara said, suggesting she did not keep a book next to her computer with passwords as Leon claimed. "He has the skills, the training and so forth to do it."

Clara said her marriage with Leon was essentially over at the time of his snooping, and she claims he even told her she had a right to move on. "I believe he was looking to get the upper hand on the divorce," she said. "I was the primary caregiver for our daughter, and I feel he was worried he could lose her from his life."

She also said she believes the case will set a precedent, not only in Michigan, but across the nation. She apparently fails to realize that's one of the reasons people are concerned the case even made it to trial.

Update: Clara Walker also spoke this week with ABC's "Nightline" and the interview was rebroadcast this morning on "Good Morning America." Check it out below.